Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: HT
Context: Recent research from China’s Beijing Anzhen Hospital, published by the American Chemical Society, has discovered microplastics in the human heart for the first time.
- The study involved analysing heart tissue from 15 patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery. The researchers found numerous individual microplastic pieces in most tissue samples, and plastic particles were also present in all blood samples.
- The detection of microplastics within the human heart is concerning, prompting the need for further investigation into how these particles enter cardiac tissues and their potential long-term effects after heart surgery.
- The study also identified specific types of plastics, such as polyethylene terephthalate (used in clothing and food containers) and polyvinyl chloride (common in window frames and pipes), in the samples.
About Microplastics:
Microplastics, which are less than 5 millimetres in size, can enter the human body through various openings and have been linked to health issues like obesity, diabetes, and chronic liver disease due to their impact on the gastrointestinal tract.
